Ginetta Juniors 2010 Mid Season Review

Jake Hill leads the way as the 2010 Ginetta Junior Championship enters its summer break, but with Tom Ingram and Louise Richardson hot on his heels, the title battle looks like it could go down to the wire. Despite the drivers having to adapt to a new car for 2010, the Ginetta G40 Junior, the series has continued to provide close, action packed racing, with the Junior’s races being some of the most eagerly anticipated and enjoyed races on the BTCC package.

It was Ingram who picked up the first win of the season, in an action packed Round One at Thruxton. Second place went to Chris Swanick, which has turned out to be his best result of a tough season so far, with David Moore completing the podium. Race two went the way of Hill, with Alex Austin following close behind and the consistent Moore again finishing third.

As the series rolled into Rockingham, it was the turn of Tom Howard to taste the winners champagne in round three. An early spin by pole sitter Hill reduced the pressure on Howard, who led home a TJ Motorsport 1-2, with Richardson in second, followed by David Moore for his third consecutive podium. Making amends for his race one spin, it was Hill who took the honours in race two with a dominant showing. Austin followed behind in second, with Richardson getting another podium in third.

Brands Hatch was the venue for the third meeting of the season, with rookie Jody Fannin securing his first ever series win in Round Five. Ingram secured more vital championship points in second, made better with Hill excluded after the race after contact, with Howard getting his second podium of the year in third. Race two of the weekend once again went the way of Hill after he secured his sixth consecutive pole position of the season. Ingram came home in second again, with the ever consistent David Moore picking up his fourth podium of the year in third.

After Brands, the youngsters moved onto Oulton Park and it was Fannin who took victory in Round Seven, proving his win at Brands wasn’t a fluke. He led home a podium lockout for his TJ Motorsport, with Richardson and Howard coming second and third. In Round Eight, Hill continued his remarkable run of winning the televised Sunday race at each meeting of the season, helping him to close in on Ingram at the top of the championship in the process. Fannin continued his impressive weekend with second, followed by the consistent Richardson in third.

It was at the final round before the summer break, Croft, where Hill was finally able to retake the lead of the championship, after a perfect weekend saw him walk away with a double victory. His rivals were unable to get near him all weekend, with Richardson and Ingram completing the Round Nine podium, before the pair switched positions for Round Ten.

As they enter the summer break, the standings look like this:

Pos

Driver

Points

1

Jake Hill

253

2

Tom Ingram

244

3

Louise Richardson

233

4

Jody Fannin

199

5

David Moore

195

6

Tom Howard

193

7

Alex Austin

166

8

Adam Bonham

131

9

Chris Swanwick

130

10

Sarah Moore

121

11

Jake Giddings

116

12

Maverick Domene

82

13

Max Coates

82

14

Seb Morris

70

15

William Foster

58

16

Brad Bailey

55

17

Ryan Ratcliffe

45

18

Finlay Ractliffe

32

19

Patrick McClughan

25

20

Carl Stirling

17

21

Matthew Wrigley

0

With four different winners this season so far, and eight different drivers finishing on the podium, the series is proving to be ultra competitive, with battles developing throughout the field. While the top three fight for the championship, Fannin, Moore and Howard are locked in a battle for fourth. Behind, Bonham and Swanick fight to be the lead Team Parker Racing driver, while towards the back of the field, the fight to be the top ‘Ratcliffe’ is strong.

While Hill looks to be favourite for the title, Ingram and Richardson will not give up without a fight. With nearly ten cars easily capable of getting on the podium and challenge for wins, the series is looking forward to a close and exciting second half of the season.

Here’s our choice of three drivers to look out for over the second half of the season:

1. Louise Richardson – Louise has been ever consistent all season, picking up six podiums, yet has been unable to convert her pace into a win. She’s very quick and will be looking to get a win soon. Lying third in the standings, she still has a strong chance for the championship, so Hill and Ingram ahead need to be wary, any slip ups and she could nip in. Definitely one to look out for.

2. Jody Fannin – Fannin has been a sensation so far this season. The best performing rookie of the year, he has picked up two wins so far and has shocked everyone with his pace and mental strength when driving. He’ll be looking to build on his impressive first half of the season and pick up some more podiums and wins where possible. Keep an eye on him as he looks to close to gap to the top three in the championship.

3. Sarah Moore – One of the disappointments of the season so far has to be the performance of reigning champion Moore. Seemingly unable to adapt to the new car as well as the old one, Sarah has been restricted to top five finishes at best and is left languishing 10th in the standings. She’ll want to forget the season so far and kick on in the second half of the year, so watch out for her as she tries to remind the fans of what she can do.

Simon is a reporter based in Hampshire who provides coverage of the BTCC support package, primarily on the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Renault UK Clio Cup and Ginetta Junior Championship, having been a fixture in the TOCA paddock for over six years.
You can follow him on Twitter @spaicemedia.